Wireless networks incorporating access nodes, relay access nodes, and other small-cell access nodes are becoming increasingly common, and may be referred to as heterogeneous networks. Relay access nodes improve service quality by relaying communication between an access node, and wireless devices in the wireless network. For example, relay access nodes may be used at the edge of a coverage area of an access node to improve coverage and/or service, as well as in crowded areas having a high number of other wireless devices to increase the available throughput to the wireless devices being relayed. Relay access nodes are generally configured to communicate with the access node (i.e. a “donor” access node) via a wireless backhaul connection, and to deploy a radio air-interface to which wireless devices can attach.
“Dual Connectivity” refers to the ability for wireless devices to attach to two or more access nodes, and transmit/receive information via two wireless connections simultaneously. However, there are limits to utilizing dual connectivity in networks comprising access nodes and relay access nodes.
Overview
Exemplary embodiments described herein include systems, methods, and processing nodes for communicating with a wireless device via at least two access nodes. An exemplary method described herein for communicating with a wireless device via at least two access nodes includes receiving, at a donor access node coupled to a relay access node, a first portion of data and a second portion of data, wherein both first and second portions of data are addressed to a first network address of a wireless device; modifying a destination address of the second portion of data from the first network address of the wireless device to a second network address of the wireless device; transmitting the first portion of the data to the first network address of the wireless device via a first wireless communication link between the donor access node and the wireless device; and transmitting the second portion of the data to the second network address of the wireless device via the relay access node, wherein the relay access node transmits the second portion of the data to the second network address of the wireless device via a second wireless communication link between the relay access node and the wireless device.
An exemplary system described herein for communicating with a wireless device via at least two access nodes includes a donor access node configured to provide a first radio air interface to which a wireless device is attached, and a relay access node configured to attach to the first radio air interface and to provide a second radio air interface to which the wireless device is further attached. The donor access node is further configured to perform operations comprising receiving a first portion of data from a first network address of the wireless device via the first radio air interface. The first network address comprises one of at least two network addresses of the wireless device. The operations further comprise transmitting the first portion of data to a gateway node in a first virtual bearers. The relay access node is further configured to perform operations comprising receiving, via the second radio air interface, a second portion of data from a second network address of the wireless device, encapsulating the second portion of data in a second virtual bearer set up between the relay access node and the donor access node, modifying a header within the second virtual bearer to include an indicator, and transmitting the second data portion in the second virtual bearer to the donor access node. The donor access node is further configured to perform operations comprising receiving the second portion of data from the relay access node, de-encapsulating the second portion of data, modifying a source address of the second portion of data from the second network address to the first network address, and transmitting the second portion of data to the gateway node in a third virtual bearer.
An exemplary processing node described herein for communicating with a wireless device via at least two access nodes is configured to perform operations including receiving, at a donor access node coupled to a relay access node, a first portion of data and a second portion of data, wherein both first and second portions of data are addressed to a first network address of a wireless device and received at the donor access node from a gateway node in first and second virtual bearers respectively; modifying a destination address of the second portion of data from the first network address of the wireless device to a second network address of the wireless device; transmitting the first portion of the data to the first network address of the wireless device via a first wireless communication link between the donor access node and the wireless device; and transmitting the second portion of the data to the second network address of the wireless device via a combination of the donor access node and a relay access node.